How to be a good team leader: 9 tips

Several characteristics that characterize the role of a leader in a team or group.

Teamwork is one of the fundamental components both in organizations and in other less formalized contexts. Many situations require the cooperation of groups of people, and reaching the objectives set in this way is not something that can be achieved simply by adding efforts. Someone is needed to coordinate and supervise the whole project, motivate, generate changes in the division of labor, etc. In other words, a leader is needed.

In this article we will see what are the skills to develop in order to be a good group leaderIn this article we will look at the skills to develop in order to be a good group leader, going beyond the individualistic perception of "every man for himself". To do this, we will review some basic principles of leadership.

How to be a good leader at work

In every group made up of people, regardless of their degree of specialization, it is necessary for someone to play the role of leader. Despite the confusion surrounding this concept, it should be pointed out that leadership is not based on imposing one's own interests over those of others, but rather on adopting a strategic decision-making role that directs the group toward its goals. that directs the group toward its goals in the best possible way.

With this in mind, let's look at some tips on how to be a good leader, although the specific competencies to work on also depend on the specific characteristics of the type of organization you are in and the work environment you want to promote.

1. Get used to having everything organized

Chaos is not an option. As a leader has to be attentive to many work processes at the same time, it is essential to know at all times where the necessary information can be consulted, who is in charge of what, and what tasks have to be performed during the day, week and month. Failure in this respect can lead to dysfunctions that can have a negative that negatively affect the entire structure of the group or organization.

2. Learning to communicate

The strategic nature of the leader makes it essential to establish a constant flow of communication between him and the workers he supervises. It is necessary to keep in mind what the others know and do not know, to avoid misinterpretationsIt is also important not to assume that the other person understands what is being said by using references.

The latter is especially important if the authority exuded by the leader causes some people not to ask questions when ambiguities appear in the communication.

3. Make clear the functions of each one

It is key to have the ability to resolve doubts when there are doubts about where one type of work ends and the other begins. In this way, there will be no gaps in responsibility and everyone knows from whom they receive instructions. and everyone knows from whom they receive instructions and whom they supervise.

4. Going through experiences

This last aspect is key. To be a good leader, it is always necessary to have experience in the field in which you work, for a very simple reason: when you start working, it is impossible to foresee the situations you will have to deal with, regardless of their importance. That is why, you have to encounter problems in order to learn from them..

5. Knowing how to delegate

To be able to manage your efforts well, you need to know when it is time to delegate a task to another employee. To do this, it is necessary to assess the competencies of the latter, and see if this workload is significant and helps the group as a whole to function better.

6. Training assertiveness

A leader cannot avoid situations that may displease him or another team member by simply not going through the experience, if doing so is necessary to positively affect the team as a whole.. Therefore, it is necessary to respect the points of view of others while expressing in a very direct way what one holds, even if it contradicts the opinions of the other.

7. Knowing how to motivate

Each team and each person has different motivational dynamics. Knowing how to find the right formula to keep everyone performing a balance between production and personal well-being and satisfaction is key. is key, and to do so, you need to know how to mobilize groups.

8. Learning from the industry

It is essential to know what the group or organization works with. To this end, it is very useful to go through all the phases of the work process, or as many as possible, to see how the workers in each department or segment of the work chain experience it, if such a system exists.

9. Listen to constant feedback

Within a company or a work group a lot of valuable information is generated. It is necessary to know how to listen to it in order to know the needs of the rest of the team, the problems that arise, their interests, etc.